Testosterone Does Not Play Role in Delayed Ejaculation

Delayed ejaculation (DE) does not appear to be linked to serum testosterone levels, according to new research in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Thought to affect 1% to 10% of adult men, DE is a distressing condition in which men need more time to reach orgasm than they would like. Sometimes, they have other ejaculatory disorders, such as anejaculation (inability to ejaculate), perceived ejaculate volume decrease, and decreased force of ejaculation. Some men with DE are unable to reach orgasm at all.

Not surprisingly, DE can be problematic, often leading to relationship issues, low sex drive, performance anxiety, poor self-esteem, and lower sexual frequency.

The study authors noted that DE is a subjective condition, based on men’s reports on their own experiences, not prescribed time frames. This study aimed to assess time frames and explore the possible role of testosterone levels.

Researchers analyzed data from 988 North American men who had been screened for a larger study on the effectiveness of testosterone replacement in men with ejaculatory dysfunction and low testosterone. The men completed questionnaires on sexual function. Testosterone samples from each man were also evaluated.

The research team considered two types of ejaculation scenarios:

Intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) – the time between partner penetration and ejaculation

Masturbatory ejaculation latency time (MELT) – the time between erection and ejaculation during masturbation

Based on self-reports, 62% of the men had DE, and 38% did not. Men with DE tended to be younger, with an average age of 51 years compared to an average age of 54 for men without DE. Men with DE were also more likely to have anejaculation, mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, and higher testosterone levels.

Estimated median IELTs was 20 minutes for men with DE and 15 minutes for men without. For estimated MELTs, the median times were 15 minutes and 8 minutes, respectively.

The researchers found no association between ejaculation time and testosterone levels. They were not surprised, explaining that DE is “due to a disorder of arousal and abnormal processing of sexual cues (tactile, olfactory, visual, auditory, and recollection of positive event.)”

Forty-five men had IELTs longer than 90 minutes. Of these, 6 did not feel they had DE, a finding that “underscores the subjectivity of the diagnosis of DE,” the authors said.

They also noted that African American men had longer IELTs and MELTs compared to white men and suggested further study in this area.

The authors acknowledged several limitations, including that fact that men self-reported their ejaculation times and did not measure them with a stopwatch. In addition, DE was considered only in light of heterosexual vaginal intercourse and masturbation. DE with other sexual activities would need further study.